Grading machine



Dem, W, 1929 L. m. comm/ELL GRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24,1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1929- L. coGswELL 4 1,738,818

GRADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24. 192B 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 10, 1929. L. A. COGSWELL;

GRADING MACHINE I5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 24, 1928 v weZZ,

Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica LEANDER A. COGSWELL, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T LACENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE GRADING MACHINE Application filed January 24, 1928. Serial No. 249,090.

This invention relates to grading machines of the general type shown in the Nichols Patent No. 1,130,321 dated March 2, 1915, and

its principal object is to provide a machine which will grade the blanks of stock according to the thickness detections of a restricted, intermediate area only between the ends of each blank. v

In the machine of said Nichols patent pro vision has already been made whereby the measurements of the leading end of the blank for a substantial distance along the blank, as the blank passes through the detecting rolls, will not be preserved in the setting mechanism nor transmitted through the setting mechanism to the grading mechanism until the advance edge of the blank reaches and operates a trip which renders the setting mechanism operative. The grading thereupon begins and continues throughout the remainder of'the length of the blank. The reason for this construction and operation is that certain died-out pieces of leather or other blanks used in the manufacture of shoes such, for example, as soles are classified according to the thickness measurement of certain areas only of the blank. The grade of the toe or hall part of a sole determines the grade of the sole while the thickness or grade of the heel and shank part is disregarded. The sole is fed into the machine heel end first, and the heel and shank parts are permitted to pass through the, detecting'rolls before the trip is operated which starts the adjustment till tilt

of the grading mechanism. But, from the time the trip is operated until the toe end of the sole'passes out from under the gate im mediately in front of the detecting rolls, the grading continues and the sole is graded practically td the end of the toe. There has been no provision heretofore whereby the grading may be stopped and the setting mechanism locked before the blank passes out from under the gate, in order to leave an ungraded area at the rear or following end of the blank as well as at the forward end. I i

There are'sonie blanks which are preferably graded according to the thickness of an intermediate area only between the ends of the blank leaving a substantial area at each shoe. Consequently the grade of the two end regions of the blank should be disregarded, not only because it is unnecessary to grade them, but because if the counter blank being graded should happen to have a thin part in one of these end regions, the blank as a whole would receive a lower rating than required by the grade of the middle part or intermediate area which is the only area that matters. The principal object of this invention, is to provide means whereby the grading of a blank can be stopped short of the end to confine the grading to the intermediate area of the blank, or at least to prevent the latter or following end of the blank from be ng graded as it passes through the machine In the accompanying drawings which illu'strate an embodiment of the invention,

a Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a grading machine containing the invention;

*ig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section; and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view on an enlarged scale of the front left hand corner of the new chine.

For an understanding of the present iuvention it is not necessary to disclose and describe herein the entire grading machine. The construction and operation of the machine in general will be understood by reference to said Nichols patent, but I will describe enough of the machine to show the application of my present improvements thereto. The blanks tobe graded are fed into the machine from the work table 1 under the usual gate 2 to the feed rolls 3, l, the latter roll constituting the usual feeler or detector roll. The movement of the detector roll 4;, in response to variations in thickness of the blank, are transmitted as usual to the sethaving a gear segment 6 on its end meshing with a gear segment 7. The gear segment 7 actuates the ratchet 8 provided with the usual thinness measuring teeth 9, and ratchet teeth 10 by which the mechanism is locked against res ilonding to thicker measurements of the blan s. Pawl 11 cooperates with the ratchet teeth 9'and pawl 12 cooperates with the ratchet teeth 10. Pawl 11, which may be termed the thinness-measuring pawl is normally held disengaged from ratchet teeth 9 by a weighted rod 13. Pawl 12, which may be termed the final locking pawl, is also normally disengaged from its ratchet. The construction and operation of the parts thus far described may be substantially the same as in said Nichols patent and the grading mechanisms, which may be any one or more of the types known in this art,

' may also be substantially similar to those shown in said Nicholspatent, such as the skiving and evening devices indicated by the knife 28 and rolls 29, or the marking or stamping devices indicated by the type wheel 31. It will, therefore, not be necessary to describe these mechanisms more in detail, nor their actuating mechanisms, since the same will be understood by reference to said Nichols patent. It will be understood that the blanks are graded according to the thinnest part as determined by the detecting mechanism.

The top end of rod 13 is pivotally connected to an 'arm 14 loosely journalled on cross shaft 15. The arm 14 has an adjust- 'the thinnest spot as determined b able cam follower block or platev 16, immediately below which is a cam 17 formed on a segmental piece pivoted on a vertical axis 18 mounted on the frame of the machine. The cam segment is provided with v a trip arm 19 which extends laterally into the path of the blanks close to the nip of the rolls 3 and 4. f

A blank A representing a counter is illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 3.- When the blank is fed through the rolls 3, 4 its leading edge upon emerging from the bite of the rolls engages arm 19 and swings it to the right (Fig. 3) to the position shown in broken llnes thereby swinging cam- 17 in the same direction. Cam 17 acting on cam follower 16 lifts arm 14 and rod 13 and thereby allows pawl 11 to engage the ratchet teeth 9. The measurement of the blank for the detecting rolls will now be preserve and will be transmitted to the grading devices in the manner well known in machines of this type. The cam device just described is simj ilar to that shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the Nichols Patent No. 1,058,623 dated April 8,

1913 except that in the present device the adJustable cam follower 16 makes it possible to time the setting of the pawl 11 to occur ting mechanism which includes the lever 5?" at the desired interval after the leading end of the blank emerges from the rolls 3, 4 and engages .arm 19.

A lever 20, which has a yoke 21 engaging the top of arm 14, is pivoted to the frame of the machine at 22 and is provided with a rearwardly and downwardl extending arm 23 terminating in a hook-like end 24 which engages behind a latch bar 25. The latch bar 25 normally holds the gate 2 lifted, as shown in Fi 1, by means of a short arm 27, which is xed to the same shaft on which gate 2 is carried and rests on top of latch \Vhen arm 14 'which sets pawl 11 is lifted by the entering blank it will at the same time lift lever 20 upward and cause lever 23 to swing downward and to the left thereby swinging latch bar 25 to the left out from under arm 27. The gate thereupon drops on top of the blank.

From the time when the forward end of the blank acting through cam 17 sets pawl 11 until locking pawl 12 engages ratchet 10 the thinness measurements of the blank as determined by the rolls 3, 4 will be received and preserved by the setting mechanism and transmitted to the grading devices in the manner described in sald Nichols patent. Heretofore, however, as illustrated in said Nichols patent, the pawl 12 was caused to beset into the ratchet to lock the mechanism in its final adjustment by the dropping of the gate 2 from the rear end of the blank as the blank is about to pass .outbetween rolls 3, 4. In the present invention the pawl 12 is not controlled by the gate but is wholly independent of the gate and is controlled by a separate trip mechanism which acts before the blank passes out from underneath the gate and while a considerable area of the following end of the blank remains still to pass throu h rolls 3, 4. This trip is shown at 31, adj ustably mounted on rod 32, which is fixed to shaft 15. The shaft 15 also has fixed on it a short arm 33 engaging a roller in the bifurcated end of lever 34, which is pivoted to the machine frame at 35. The other end of lever 34 is connected by link 36 to the tail piece of pawl 12. Consequently,

-when a blank enters under the foot of trip 31, which is in the ath of the blanks between the trip arm 19 an the grading)mechan1sms, the trip 31 and rod 32 are lifted y the blanks, thus causing pawl 12 to engage ratchet teeth 10. The setting wheel 8 is now locked against movement in both directions and no further motions of the detecting roll 4 will be transmitted to the setting mechanism or the grading mechanisms as the following or latter part of the blank passes between the rolls 3 and 4, but the grading mechanisms will remain set and locked in accordance with the measurements of the middle or intermediate area only of the blank. The trip 31 is adjustable on arm 32so-that the time of actuating pawl 12 may be regulated to occur sooner or later, as desired, thus leaving a greater or less area at the latter end of the blank ungraded.

As the blank passes on through the machine, as soon as the rear end of the blank passes clear of the gate 2, the gate will drop to the work table 1 and prevent the insertion of another blank until the gate is a ain raised in the manner hereinafter described. As soon as the rear or following end of the blank passes clear of the cam actuating arm 19, said arm and the cam 17 will swing back to normal position under the influenceof spring '17,

thus allowing the arm 14 and rod 13 to drop.

lid

tr p 31, if that alone is an This will cause pawl 11 to disengage from ratchet 9, but the upward movement of roll 4 following the exit of the blank from between the rollers 3 and 4, will not rotate the ratchet wheel 8 to the left, because the ratchet is still locked by pawl 12 against'movement in that direction; hence there is no tendency to change the adjustment of the grading devices. Moreover, tween rolls 29 and 30, the pressure exerted thereby between the usual stepped wedges or inclines 37 and devices locked against disarrangement.

Tn case it is desired to hold the rod 32 lifted and the pawl 12 locked longer than would be the case if trip 31 alone were used, one or more additional trips 39 may be mounted on rod 32 with the result that the rod 32 will be held up and pawl 12 locked after the rear end of the blank passes out from underneath the trip 31.

a The use of such additional trip or trips is especially advantageous. in the handling of short blanks?" a When the blank passes out from underneath used, or trip 39 if more than one trip is used, rod 32 will drop and pawl 12 will be unlocked. The setting ratchet 8 is now freed from both pawls and is in condition to respond to the measurement of the next followin blank. The gate 2, however, is still closed down on to the feed table 1 and consequently another blank can not till lid

till

be fed into the machine until the gate is raised in response to the outgoing blank bythe mechanism which will now be described.

When the blank which is being graded enters between the skiving rolls 29 and 30, the upper skiving roll 30 will be lifted by the blank. The journal of the upper skiving roll 30 is connected by link to a lever arm 41 pivoted to the frame of the machine at 42 andextending rearwardly to' the lower end of latch bar to which it is pivoted at 26. The raising of the upper roll by the blank begraded pulls the latch bar 25' downward so that its upper end is below the level of arm 27 which actuates the gate. As soon as the top end of latch bar 25 moves down below the level of arm 27, a spring 43 swings the end of latch bar 25 to. the right underneath arm 2'47. Thereafter, when the outgoing blank be so long as the blank is be 38 Will also hold the grading mainder of the blank,

ing graded, leaves rolls 29 and 30, roll 30 will again move downward thus lifting latch bar 25 and opening gate 2 ready to receive a succeeding blank the moment the preceding blank has left rolls 29 and 30.

The operation of the machine, which'is already indicated in the foregoing description, may be briefly summarized as follows: Assume that a counter A (Fig. according to the thinnest spot of the intermediate area only between the broken lines B and C, but is to be left ungraded as to its two end regions beyond the lines 13 and G. The blank is fed to the machine underneath the gate 2 into the nip of the detecting and feeding rolls 3, 4. As the forward end of the blank emerges from the rolls 3, 41 it encounters arm 19 and actuates the cam 17 which lifts the arm 14 and rod 13 and thereby sets thepawl 11 into ratchet 9, thus preserving the thinness measurements of the blank and correspondingly adjusting the grading devices in the known manner. The time when such grading will start may be regulated by the adjustment of the cam follower 16 so as to actuate the pawl 11 after the desired length of the blank has passed through without grading, say up to the line C (Fig. 3). The trip 31 is so adjusted on rod 32 that it will not be actuated by the leading end of the blank until the middle or intermediate region of the blank, which it is desired to grade, has

.3) is to be graded passed through rolls 3, 4 whereupon the leading end of the blank will lift trip 31 causing pawl 12 to engage ratchet 10 thus locking the setting mechanism and terminating the effective grading of the blank. As the resay from line B (Fig. 3) to the end of the blank, passes between rolls 3 and 4, no grading will take place. When the forward end of the blank enters between rolls 29 and 30, roll 30 will be lifted by the blank thereby pulling latch bar 25 downward to operative position under the gate arm 27. When the following or rear end of the blank passes clear of trip arm 19, the cam 17 will swing back to normal position. Thereafter when the following or rear end of the blank 31 or 39, as the case may be, the trip will fall tothe bed plate and unlock pawl 12; and when the entire blank passes clear of rolls 29, 3O latch bar 25 will again lift the gate 2 and the machine is ready to receive another blank and to repeat the same cycle of operations.

I claim: j

1. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, and grading mechanism responsive to the thickness detections by the detecting mechanism of an intermediate area only between the ends of each blank, and means to vary the length of'the passes out from under trip ungraded area of the following end of the tions by the detecting mechanism of part of each blank but'irresponsive to the thickness detections of the latter part of each blank, and means to vary the length of the ungraded area at the latter part of the blank.

3. Asgrading machine comprising detectmg mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism controlled by the detect- .mg mechanism, and means whereby the detecting mechanism is rendered inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism upon the latter part of each passing blank, and means to vary. the lengthof the ungraded area at the latter part of the blank. 4. A grading machine comprising detectmg mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable rading mechanism controlled by the detectmg mechanism, and means whereby the detecting mechanism is rendered inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism upon the forward part and the latter part of each passing blank, but permits such adjustment in response to the action of. the detecting mechanism upon the intermediate part of each blank, and means to vary the length of the ungraded area at the latter part of the I blank.

5. A grading machine'comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable gradmg mechanism controlled by the detectmg mechanism, settingniechanism actuated by the detecting mechanism and determining the adjustment of the" grading mechanism, and means whereby the setting mechanism is rendered inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism upon the latter part of each passing blank, and means to vary the length of the ungraded area at theslatter part of the blank.

6. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism controlled by the detecting'mechanism, setting mechanism actuated by the detecting mechanism and determining the adjustment of the grading mechanism, and means whereby the settingmechanism will transmit to the grading mechanism the thickness detection of an intermediate area only between the ends of each blank, and means to vary the length'of the ungraded area I at the following end of the blank. '65

' 7. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism controlled by the detecting mechanism, setting mechanism actuated by the detecting mechanism and determining the adjustment of the grading mechanism, and means whereby the setting mechanism is rendered inoperative to, adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism upon the forward part and the latter part of each passing blank but is rendered operative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism upon the intermediate part of each blank, and means to vary the length of the ungraded area at the latter part of the blank.

8. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism responsive to the detecting mechanism, and means in the path of the blank and actuated by the leading end of the blank after passing the detecting mechanism to render the detecting mechanism inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism while a substantial area of the blank remains still to pass through the detectin mechanism.

9. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism responsive to the detecting mechanism, and means in the path of the blank and actuated by the leading end of the blank after passing the detecting mechanism to render the detecting mechanism operative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism, and separate means actuated by the leading end of the blank, after passing the first means, to render the detecting mechanism inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism while a substantial area of the blank remains still to pass through the detecting mechanism.

10. A grading machine of the kind described comprising detecting mechanism, grading mechanism, setting mechanism including a ratchet member and a normally disengaged final locking pawl, and a trip in the path of the'blank between the grading mechanism and the detecting mechanism adapted to be actuated by the leading end of the blank to set the locking pawl before the rear part of the blank has passed through the detecting mechanism.

11. A grading machine of the kind described comprising detecting mechanism, grading mechanism, setting mechanism including a ratchet member having two opposed sets of ratchet teeth, a thinness-measuring pawl to engage one set of ratchet teeth till tilt

and a final locking pawl to engage the other set of ratchet teeth, a trip in the path of the blank adapted to be actuated by the leading end of the blank after emerging from the detecting mechanism to set the thinnessmeasuring pawl, and a second trip in the path of the blank between the first trip and the I grading mechanism adapted to be actuated by the leading end of the blank to set the locking pawl.

12. A grading machine of the kind de scribed comprising detecting mechanism, grading mechanism, setting mechanism, and means actuated by the blank for controlling the setting mechanism including a cam and cam-follower, one of which is adjustable with relation to the other, to vary the time when the setting mechanism is brought into operation.

13. A grading machine of the kind described comprising detecting mechanism,

grading mechanism, settling mechanism, and means actuated by the blank for controlling the setting mechanism including a cam and cam-follower, the cam-follower being adjustable to vary the time when the setting mechanism is brought into operation.

14:. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism responsive to the detecting mechanism, a gate in advance of the detecting mechanism to control the-admission of the blanks, and means independent of the gate actuated by a blank before the blank has passed out from under the gate to render the detecting mechanism inoperative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism.

15. A grading machine comprising detecting mechanism for gauging successive blanks of stock according to thickness, adjustable grading mechanism responsive to the detecting mechanismfa gate in advance of the'detecting mechanism to control the admission of the blanks, means actuated by a blank after its leading end has passed the detecting I mechanism to render the detecting mechanism operative to adjust the grading mechanism in response to the action of the detecting mechanism, and separate means actuated by the blank before the blank has passed out from under the gate to render the detecting mechanism againinoperative to adjust the grading mechanism. 5

Signed by me at Manchester, New Hampshirethis 18th day of January 1928.

LEANDER A.v COGSWELL. 

